ST. PETERSBURG, June 20. /TASS/. Tourist flow to Russia from abroad may grow by 20% year-on-year in 2025 and reach six million people, Nikita Kondratyev, Director of the Department of Multilateral Economic Cooperation and Special Projects of the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, said in an interview with TASS on the sidelines of the SPIEF.

"According to the results of 2024, we had more than 5 million tourists, and this year we are forecasting a growth of about 20%. So, we are setting the task of reaching a ceiling of 6 million foreign tourists who stayed in collective accommodation facilities by the end of 2025," he said.

Judging by the results of the summer season, Russia expects about 900,000 foreign tourists.

"The main flow will be from China - this is about 65% of the total incoming summer tourist flow. In second place are our friends from the UAE, other Persian Gulf countries - Saudi Arabia, Qatar. We also expect a stable flow from India, Turkey," Kondratyev said.

According to him, the tourist flow to Russia from the Persian Gulf countries and Southeast Asian countries has noticeably increased - by three to four times compared to last year.

The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) is taking place on June 18-21. This year, the event is held under the theme "Shared Values: The Foundation of Growth in a Multipolar World." The Roscongress Foundation is the organizer of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. TASS is its information partner.